The trench coat. No other coat has this ability to cross eras, social classes and cultures without ever losing an ounce of relevance. From the battlefield to the runway, from film noir to the street, the trench is the only garment that is at once a uniform, an icon and an essential.
Born in the Mud of the Trenches
The trench coat owes its name, and its existence, to the trenches of the First World War. Before it, British officers wore heavy wool greatcoats, warm but entirely unsuited to rain and mud. Two houses lay claim to the modern trench: Aquascutum, which says it developed a waterproof fabric as early as 1853, and Burberry, whose gabardine, a tightly woven, water-repellent cotton, equipped British officers from 1901.
The design of the trench is dictated by function. The epaulettes held the rifle sling in place. The metal rings on the belt allowed equipment to be attached. The chest flap protects against prevailing winds. The cuff straps tighten to stop water running up the sleeve. Every detail of the trench that seems purely aesthetic today originally answered a concrete problem.
From War to the Cinema
After the war, the trench began its second life. Military surplus flooded the civilian market. In the 1940s, Hollywood took hold of it. Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s: the trench became a symbol of the cinema. Today it is everywhere, and yet a good trench remains a rare piece.
How to Choose Your Trench Coat
The classic length falls below the knee. A mid-thigh length is more contemporary and easier to wear every day. Colour: beige remains the absolute reference, but a navy trench or a khaki trench has more character. Fabric: cotton gabardine remains the most faithful to the original. A version in cashmere or wool cloth turns the trench into a light winter coat.
The details that make quality: a viscose lining rather than polyester, genuine horn buttons, reinforced seams at stress points, a collar that holds its shape without stiffness.
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